Illuminati
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the secret society. For the film, see
Illuminata (film). For the Muslim esoteric school, see
Illuminationism. For other uses, see
Illuminati (disambiguation).
Adam Weishaupt (1748–1830), founder of the Bavarian Illuminati.
The
Illuminati (plural of
Latin illuminatus, "enlightened") is a name given to several groups, both real and fictitious. Historically the name refers to the
Bavarian Illuminati, an
Enlightenment-era
secret society founded on May 1, 1776 to oppose
superstition,
prejudice, religious influence over public life, abuses of
state power, and to support women's education and
gender equality. The Illuminati—along with other secret societies—were outlawed by the Bavarian ruler,
Charles Theodore, with the encouragement of the
Roman Catholic Church, and permanently disbanded in 1785.
[1] In the several years following, the group was vilified by conservative and religious critics who claimed they had regrouped and were responsible for the
French Revolution.
In subsequent use, "Illuminati" refers to various organizations claiming or purported to have unsubstantiated links to the original Bavarian Illuminati or similar secret societies, and often alleged to conspire to control world affairs by
masterminding events and planting agents in
government and
corporations to establish a
New World Order and gain further political power and influence. Central to some of the most widely known and elaborate
conspiracy theories, the Illuminati have been depicted as lurking in the shadows and pulling the strings and levers of power in dozens of novels, movies, television shows, comics, video games and music videos.